Persona 4: Awakening the Bonds
by EnderLance
Summary: Thrust into a battle against gods, shadows, and all sorts of creatures, one should never face off against them alone. And it was this fact alone that spurred Yu on to meet and form new allies, becoming one who could defend his friends in the process. And hey? What are the odds that he would score, not one, but four girls at the end? (One-shot)


"Let's go, Persona!" - Speech

'I don't mind, really.' - Thoughts

 **"Prepare to die!"** \- Shadow Speech

 _"And thus began…"_ \- Flashback / Emphasis

*Fwoo…* *Crack!* - Sound effects

* * *

{ Persona 4: Awakening the Bonds }

Yu and Izanagi: The Wild Card

Inaba, a rural town in a remote part of Japan that could be considered pretty much desolated. Well, of course there were people there, but compared to the otherwise bustling Tokyo, or even the natural Kyoto. Still, that didn't mean that it was entirely unimportant, considering that it was home to the protagonist of this story, and the original story.

Yu Narukami, a tall boy with silver bowl-cut hair and a strong build that was enough to captivate any of the opposite sex. He was described to be a cool and mysterious person, sometimes silent, and displaying undeterred determination the other. At times, he considered himself as normal as any other boys were, if a little bit weird and air-headed at times. Still, none could deny the fact that he was a true friend who would stick by one's side no matter what.

His friends loved him, just as he cherished them in return. There was simply no way to truly put a word about him; in one moment he was one's guardian angel, the other, he could be a mischievous devil whose crazy ideas may as well aim for comedy than to truly solve a problem.

When school ended, the adolescent boy would return to the home he was living in—his parents' work required him to stay here in the meantime—to help his uncle and cousin sister. At times, he would also take a trip around Inaba, learning more about the natural town than what the eye sees.

It was times like these that truly made him grateful for coming here. At first, he had protested against his parents' wishes, wishing to remain in the city. But now? He could just laugh at the memory.

"So, you're going to be out right now?" Dojima, his uncle, who wore a gray suit with a red tie, asked, eyebrow cocked.

"Yeah. I'm just going to go see my friends for a little while. We have a project to work on," he answered with a nod. Technically, he didn't want to lie to his uncle, whom he saw as a father-figure, but telling him that they would be fighting monsters and solving crime cases would just be treated as some child's play.

"Alright. Just be careful on your way to Junes," his uncle waved at the silverette, his daughter joining him a moment later to say goodbye to the boy. He smiled, returning the gesture as he left the house.

This, in the eyes of the normal man, would be the ordinary life of the incredibly ordinary boy. And yet, in this world, life was anything but ordinary. And he himself was special.

He didn't have anything to use, so he decided to get there on foot. After some time walking to Junes, he arrived there, smiling at his friends as they waved at him.

"Hey Yu! Good to see you're good," a boy with smooth brown hair and headphones that hung around his neck asked, a carefree grin on his face. "How's Nanako, by the way? She'd better be doing okay! The girl's all smiles and wonders! Wouldn't want anything to ruin that."

"True that! There is no way I'm going to apologise anyone that hurts her! And if there was, we'll be there to protect her!" A girl wearing the school's uniform, but with an athletic green jacket over her shirt, pumped her fist in the air.

"There's nothing to worry about, Yosuke, Chie. She's doing just fine as always," he shook his head, grateful that his friends still cared for his cousin. He looked around them, noticing the absence of a few people. "Where's Yukiko and Kuma?"

"Kuma's buying some drinks for us," a tall punk-looking blonde with a shirt that had a skull logo imprinted onto it, whose name was Kanji, answered. "Senpai, on the other hand, is a bit tied up with work at her family's inn."

"Mmhm. She said that she'll be a bit late, but she'll definitely come," Chie reassured the silverette.

"I see… And Rise?" He brought up once more, noticing the absence of the bubbly idol, who never failed to spend her time flirting with him at every moment.

"With Kuma. He said he wanted someone to accompany him, so Rise said she was fine with it," Yosuke shrugged, taking a look at his phone. "They should be back around… now."

Just as he finished saying that, a boy with blond hair and a rose in his shirt was skipping towards them, a bright smile on his features. Behind him, a girl with brown hair tied in pigtails followed, beaming up when her gaze landed on Yu.

"Sensei! We got drinks!" The boy, Kuma, shouted with much energy, lifting plastic bags high in the air. Yu waved at him.

"Yu-senpai~!" Said lad braced himself for the upcoming hug, which came from Rise, the girl with pigtails. Tackling him, he managed to handle it, considering that he had gone through this a multitude of times. "Were you okay without me, Yu-senpai~?"

"Yeah. I was," he nodded. Most boys would have been on cloud-nine for experiencing something as heavenly as this, but Yu had experienced this more than enough to rub it off as normal. In fact, he had just taken it to as her usual antics as time went on.

"Uuu…. I thought you were lonely without me…" She pouted, ever the seductive actress she was, before her smile returned to her, just as easily. "Well, at least you're doing fine, so I don't mind at all!"

Their conversation was cut short when the sounds of footsteps approaching them resounded. Turning their heads to the source of the sound, they could see a regal-looking lass with long black hair, running towards them.

"Sorry I was late!" She apologised, slightly panting. She must have ran all the way here, Yu thought.

"Oh, don't you worry too much about it, Yukiko! We just got here ourselves as well!" Chie reassured her best friend, who let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness…" She smiled, perking up when she noticed the absence of the last member of their little group. "Wait a minute. Where's Naoto?"

"I'm here," a boyish voice called out as he appeared from behind a wall, wearing the boy's uniform outfit, with a blue cap to go with his short blue hair.

"Naoto," the silverette greeted with a nod.

"W-Where were you?" Kanji, usually serious and cool-headed, asked, averting his eyes away from him as he blushed softly.

"Forgive me. I was busy reading an article that caught my attention earlier," he explained. "There was a debate on which popular fictional and historical outlaws were better, so to speak."

"Ooh, I know that one! It's incredibly popular, I heard!" Yukiko clapped her hands together, immediately sounding interesting in said topic. "I never knew they were talking about that!"

"Indeed. It seems that it's spread out to even beyond our country's borders," the bluenette nodded, sharing in a smile with the rest of the group. "While many have voted for Carmine, I personally prefer Zorro."

"Really? I was expecting a girl like you would be more into Milady or something," Yosuke shrugged, all air knocked out of his windpipe as Chie sent a slam into his stomach.

Yes, yes, you heard me right. Naoto is indeed an androgynous girl with a boyish look. Just deal with it, alright?

"Umm… Not to disturb your conversation or anything," everyone turned to Kanji, who was looking at each of them. "But shouldn't we get going? Just as we planned?"

"Hmm… True. There's things we have to do there," Yu nodded in understanding, sparing everyone a single glance. "Alright then, team. Let's go."

"Hai!" Everyone shouted in unison, burning with equal amount of determination just as their leader.

And yet, as the silver-haired boy strode into Junes, as calm as ever, he was—fortunately for the opposite sex—oblivious to the way the girls were hungrily eyeing him, a plan ready to be enacted on a specific day.

In this story, we shall dive not into the chivalrous battles our 'protagonist has had against the 'Shadows' in the 'TV World'. No. Rather, we shall learn of the various girls he fights alongside with, and the catalysts of which that awakened their true feelings for him.

This, is the story.

* * *

Chie and Tomoe: Girl With A Fighter's Soul

Yu didn't really know why he had to move. All that there was for explanation, was that his parents' work required him to move to this quiet town called Inaba, despite his wish to remain in the city.

And yet, looking back now, he couldn't find a single reason to detest the fact that he was now here. In fact, he was grateful for their decision.

Back when Yu first attended his new school, Yasogami High School, he had met several people in his class; Yosuke, a spirited and somewhat perverted teen, Chie, the living definition of 'energy', and Yukio, a polite girl who can come off as as a bit reserved at times.

Nonetheless, despite their varying backgrounds and social standings, the four of them grew to become good friends in such a short time, all of whom valued their friendship with the new transfer student, just as he does in return.

On a day like any other, Yu and the others entered the 'TV World', ready to train themselves. After seeing how strong their leader was in battle, the others too felt motivated to get stronger, something of which would prove useful in the upcoming battles. Kuma, on the other hand, would remain by the sidelines, acting as a guide to them.

"Watch out!" The comical bear warned in fear, watching as a humanoid-like shadow rushed at the silver-haired boy, whom Kuma deemed his sensei.

"Izanagi!" He shouted, a tarot card materialising before him. He crushed it in his hand, summoning his Persona. With a mental command, the Shadow swung his katana around him, deftly cleaving the enemies in half. As another rushed him, Yu drew his own sword, made of fine metal, and leaving a wide gash on the 'Shadow's' torso, leaving it to burst into dark matter.

"Whoa! Amazing, sensei!" Kuma cheered in awe.

Meanwhile, everyone else were tending to their own battles, trying to make quick work of the enemies before them. Yosuke looked to be struggling, but was otherwise doing fine. His mastery of the daggers were unparalleled by others, and he was bouncing back and forth, cutting down those before him quickly. Chie was doing the best, overpowering the enemies with raw strength alone. None should ever underestimate her experience in the arts of martial, after all. Yukiko's Persona danced around the battlefield, spawning fire that engulfed and obliterated the hordes of 'Shadows'. Seems like that fan of hers wasn't for show after all.

Kuma was, well… Ever the cheering fan he is.

They continued to fight, oblivious to the presence of a powerful 'Shadow'. That is, until—

"Sensei! Be careful!" Kuma suddenly shouted, pointing somewhere behind him. Taking the warning quickly, Yu turned on his heels.

"Whoa…" His eyes widened, and he felt his muscles tense up.

*Boom!*

"D-Dang!" Yosuke struggled to keep himself in balance, staring at the tyrannical 'Shadow' that appeared out of nowhere, seemingly dropping from the sky. He picked up his daggers, readying himself in a stance. "What is that?!"

"Everyone! Regroup!" Their leader shouted, everyone taking the order well, before he joined them, katana in his hand.

The shadow was enormous, that much was a given. It was a large, blue elephant that stood on its hind legs like a human, donning armour all over its body with a larger talwar in its hand.

"Ganesha," the silverette voiced out, recognising the 'Shadow' from the ancient mythologies he's read in books before.

"Hff hff…" Kuma sniffed the air, eyes opening wide after a moment. "The 'Shadow' is weak to electricity, but blocks wind!"

"Got it. Yosuke, focus on healing! Chie, you and I are against him! Amagi, defend Yosuke!" His orders were loud and clear, enough so that everyone heard him the first time.

"Hai!" They shouted back, rushing to their positions.

The 'Shadow' let out a battle cry, jogging forwards before swiping his sword in front of him. Izanagi flew forwards, parrying the elephant's blade with his own, forcing him backwards into a stagger.

"Tomoe! Go for it!" His dual-partner shouted, her Persona immediately launching herself into the air, before dropping down, accelerating quicker than a bullet.

In one single instance, the lady-like Persona landed a firm blow to the side of its head with its heel, sending it skidding backwards.

Yu let loose a battlecry, charging up his katana with the thunder that Izanagi emitted. He rushed forwards, dealing a combo towards the large warrior, shocking him beyond necessary.

*RrrhuAAHAA!*

In an attempt to bring down his enemies, Ganesha swept his talwar across him, knocking his sword into Izanagi's, forcing him backwards. It caught ahold of Konohana Sakuya, slamming it into the ground.

"Ghaa..!" The black-haired girl grunted as the pain transferred from her Persona to her body. Still, she held on, believing their leader to win.

Personas were a manifestation of one's psyche, their soul given form. As such, it was not mad to consider it as part of yourself. As such, should the Persona to be injured, so would their wielder feel as such.

Getting up, the fire Persona managed to claim distance away from the elephant before he sliced her apart. Yosuke wasted no time to cast healing magic onto Yukiko, with help from his own Persona.

"Oi!" The 'Shadow' turned around, only to be met with the butt of Tomoe's naginata. "That's for Yukiko!"

And yet, none of them had truly expected it to be so resilient to damage, which allowed it just enough time to raise its weapon, ready to attack its assaulter.

*Ching!*

"Whoa hoa hoa!" Yosuke bore witness to Yu parrying the attack, wielding his own weapon, a serious look of sturdiness crossing his features.

The enemy was undoubtedly a force to be reckoned. Just trying to keep him at a stalemate proved to be a challenge. However, applying even more force into his action, Yu managed to push back the 'Shadow', before he commanded Izanagi to let loose a powerful jolt of thunder onto the elephant warrior, frying him dry.

Sweat flew from his body and face, hair waving in a fashion that seemed to have intensified his awesomeness. All sense of time seemed to have grounded to a stop for Chie, as he remains in his posture in her eyes, all cognitive function failing as all that was registered was the lad.

"Chie!" The silver-haired boy shouted, staring at her. "Finish it!"

"R-Right!" She was so lost staring at him, to the point where she had almost forgotten about the battle taking place.

Commanding her Persona to power up, Tomoe now had a glowing fist, one that was more than enough to indicate that she was ready.

"Alright!" Let's do this!" With a single shout, she thrusted her fist forwards, her Persona imitating the action, her fist closing in on Ganesha's face.

*Bam!*

XP distributed to team members.

* * *

After everything had been done with, it was accurate to say that everyone came out stronger than ever. Even their Personas turned out to be pretty decent, much to their joy and relief.

Making sure that they were treated of any wounds and the like, they finally left the 'TV World', with the Yosuke and Yukiko noticing how dreamy their brunette friend looked.

'That was just so…' She trailed off for a moment there, unknowing of what to say, as a wavy smile lingered on her face, accompanying the blooming that painted her skin. 'Amazing..!'

He looked so cool, just like those kung fu actors she's seen on TV! Just everything about him during that single moment reminded her of them, only that he had made number one on her 'best actors' list.

As they made their way out of Junes, the department store of Inaba of which Yosuke's father was the manager of, things started to take a turn for the worse.

It was nothing bad at first. Walking down the familiar streets that either took them to some shop, to school, or home, it was supposed to be a calm little trip. And yet, nothing ever stays constant.

"Heeey..!" The four perked up, turning around, only to face a pair of older drunken men with loose ties and dirty suits. "Y'all look preeety…"

"I am flattered," Yu commented.

"Dude. Don't even…" His male friend sighed.

A burp drew forth from one of them, disgusting the younger group.

"Hey, little ladiesss… Who wants a trip to Heaven~..?" The other man drawled, adopting a sultry tone. Even so, the haziness that fogged his eyes concluded that, were they to follow them, then bad things were just ready to pounce on them.

"Urgh… These guys are annoying," Chie clicked her tongue in annoyance. She was never one to hold back with her words. "Come on, guys. Let's just go."

"Whoa whoa whoa..! Don't leave… just yehht…" He slurred, a half-empty bottle of whiskey in his left as he leaned against the street light with his right.

"Psst..! Yu…" The lad heard his friend whisper to him. He leaned in closer, allowing him to whisper into his ear. "We should really get going… I have a bad feeling about this…"

"Yeah," the silver-haired boy nodded in response. Deciding to get this over with, and possibly without violence, he stepped forwards, calling out to the two drunkards. "Forgive us, sirs, but we'd like to return to our homes. We have matters that require our attention."

He knew that they wouldn't take his words lightly, and his suspicions were spot-on. Where there once was a hazy smile on their faces, now replaced with annoyed scowls.

"Whoo… The f**k dhoo you think you are..?!" The one with the bottle spat.

"I am Yu Narukami," he answered truthfully, taking notice of the way his friends sweat-dropped in response.

"He was actually trying to threaten you, Narukami-kun…" Yukiko chuckled nervously.

"Damn… straight!" The man hissed, moving forwards to have a 'man-to-man' conversation with this rude teenager, until someone stepped in between the two, surprising both him and Yu. "Ehh?"

"Back off. We don't want any trouble, and I doubt you would want any either," Chie's warning, instead of receiving fearful or worried looks—as she hoped—were instead met with stronger glares now, much worse from the way they looked at her leader.

Uh-oh.

"You… B*TCH!" A simple warning served only to taunt him, overwhelming him with anger. Seething with so, he raised the bottle in the air, staring at the scared look that formed over her features as he cackled.

"Chie! / Satonaka!" Both Yukiko and Yosuke cried out, stuck transfixed to their spots as they watched in utter horror as the glass bottle closed in on their friend, the two of them helpless to do anything from this distance.

But what none of them had expect, was for their friend to suddenly jump into the fray, pushing aside the girl, taking her place in the process.

*Smash!*

"Ghaugh!" The silver-haired boy grunted as the bottle crashed painfully into his arm, shards being produced and digging into his skin, drawing blood. Retaliating he slammed his skull straight at the man's own, knocking him backwards before he felt face-first onto the ground, with Yu himself falling onto his rump, clutching his bleeding arm, hissing through gritted teeth.

It hurts! The cold feeling of glass in his arm, continuously piercing through the flesh and muscles of his arm made him want to scream, but he couldn't. Not now, not ever.

"Y-Yu!" Paling, Chie dropped to her knees, gripping him by his untouched arm as her heart trembled. "Yu!"

Sh*t..! This wasn't what was supposed to happen! She was supposed to be the one to protect her friends, not be protected! Had all her years chasing after her hobby been nothing for her? Wasn't she supposed to be the wall that separates her friends from danger?

'D-Damn…' And as all of this went down, he was busy trying to stay conscious, the pain enough to make him nauseas. Still, he managed to remain awake, and even more so to not throw up.

Her train of thoughts came to a stop, however, when she suddenly felt something gripping her hand, squeezing lightly.

Slowly looking down, it was a hand. A boy's one, to be more precise. She trailed it all the way to the body, only to recognise it to be Yu's.

"You okay..?" He whispered, a look of worry that turned into a soft smile when she gave a shaky nod. "Really? I'm glad…" He sighed in relief.

"I… I'm sorry…" She sniffed, daring to meet his gaze. Those gray eyes… How much she wanted to look at them, but the fear in her made it unable for her to do so. "I thought that I was strong enough… to stop them, but…"

"What do you mean..?" At his question, she finally looked at him, a reassuring tone adopted. "You didn't do any thing wrong…"

He raised his undamaged arm, patting her head that had her breath hitched in her throat.

"You were…" And his smile was more than enough to move her. "Amazing."

She gasped, making small movements away from him as the others rushed to his side, trying to help him with his arm.

A warmth bloomed in her heart, tight, yet comforting all the same. She could also feel butterflies, dancing around in her stomach. What was this sort of feeling?

In the end, they got Dojima to pick up their call, who arrived the scene, apprehending the two men with his personal assistant at his side. Of course, that didn't mean Yu's arm went completely unnoticed too. Luckily, the shards were disposed of, and the wounds had been wiped clean of blood and wrapped with bandages.

"Jeez, this looks painful… You alright, kid?" His uncle asked.

"I'm fine… It's a just a little bit sore now, is all," the nephew nodded his head in response.

"I see. Well, that should keep you well and good for the time being. But, until then, you will not do any heavy work, not until your arm completely heals. Got it?" He warned, stern like an instructor, yet caring like a father.

"Of course," Yu nodded.

"Alright then. Come on, let's go home," he gestured to his car. The boy nodded, following his uncle. Dojima turned around to look at his nephew's friends. "Thanks for taking care of Yu. I appreciate it."

"N-No. We didn't really do much…" Yosuke nervously scratched the back of his head, the others chuckling nervously. "None of us did. Yu was the one that stopped them."

"No. It was Chie," the boy in question brought up, earning a flustered look from said girl and a curious one from his uncle. Yu hadn't stepped into the car yet, taking apparent interest in the subject.

"Really? Her?" Dojima asked, gesturing his head towards the girl with the green jacket. His nephew gave a nod in response.

"Yeah. Even before I did anything, she was the one that stepped in before those men," he explained, the others nodding in agreement. His smile came easily afterwards, despite the pain that stung his arm, serving to enhance the warmth that bloomed in his friend's heart.

"Huh. That must have been really something," the man chuckled.

"True. Being in that sort of situation was dangerous, yet she persevered," the lad laughed, now conversing with just his uncle. "I can't deny it, though. She was really brave back there."

The girl flinched, blushing up a storm. Obviously, Yu was a very honest person went it came to speaking his mind out. And yet, he remained oblivious to the effects to his words, especially in situations like these. He still couldn't see her red face, nor would he know that his words stemeed a feeling of infatuation in the girl.

"Haha, alright. Well, you kids better be careful on your way home. Who knows what could happen," he smiled, waving at them before getting into his car. His nephew followed right after, and the two drove home.

The boy's friends watched on with worry, but knew that their friend was in good hands. He'd be fine the next time they'd meet, for sure.

A certain girl, however, couldn't help but stare at the outlining of the boy in the car, mentally thanking for such words of praise.

The 'Chariot' Arcana shone brightly.

* * *

Yukiko and Konohana Sakuya: Lady of the Black Snow

"Thank you for staying. We hope you come again…" The black-haired girl gave a bow as the family of three leave the inn, a satisfied look on their faces. Their footsteps that could no longer be heard signified their absence. 'Alright… Now that that's done, I should replace the flowers next.'

Yukiko worked at her family's in,, acting as an attendant that catered to the people's needs whenever they needed assistance. Many people liked her because she was the very embodiment of a goddess; pleasant, beautiful, kind… There were many words that one could use to describe her.

The compliments bolstered her determination to work harder, with nothing there to stop her from putting in her one-hundred percent in everything she does. And, she was pleased to say that she was proud with herself.

As she moved on to another area of the inn, proceeding with the task in her mind, someone else had just arrived at the inn, stepping into it, putting his shoes aside.

He walked to the receptionist area, putting down his bag on the counter.

"Coming…" The voice of a woman called out, before she came from the other room, a look of surprise and delight upon landing her eyes on the person. "Ah! You must be Yuki's friend, aren't you?

"Hai," he responded with a nod, his silver hair ever the same way. "I am Yu Narukami. I'm in the same class as your daughter."

"I see. Are you here to see Yuki-chan? I can go call her, if you wish," she offered.

"No. I actually came here…" And he pulled out what seemed to be a flyer from his bag. There was a picture of the inn on it, as well as some other words, such as 'Help needed' written in kanji. "To work here."

"I Oh! This must be the flyers we posted around town, isn't it?" She asked with a smile.

As of late, tourists had been flooding in, and they needed more helping hands, even if temporary. That was why she had her workers paste this everywhere, just to make sure.

"Indeed. I was rather curious with this programme, and as such, I came here to try it out," he explained, putting the flyer back into his bag. He wasn't sure if he'll be working here forever, but he supposed taking a shot at it wouldn't hurt too much.

"I see! Well any help would be appreciated very much!" The woman chuckled as she clapped her hands together. "Let's see… What can we have you do for us?"

"I've cooked sometimes," he answered.

While many would take that as a statement that he was like any other chefs—he himself believed himself to be mediocre at best as well—he was, safe to say, a chef to be reckoned, one whose works had made more mouths than he could count water at the sight of his work. Whenever Dojima was away from the house, busy with work, Yu would be the one to make dinner, and he was pleased to say that they were good. Even Nananko supported that.

And yet, no matter the amounts of praise and compliments he's received, he's never thought of himself to be a well-achieved chef. Truly, his humility knows no bounds.

"Okay then! We'll have you work in the kitchen then," she grinned, pointing to her right. "You can get there from here. Take a right turn when you reach the end, and you'll see a door to the kitchen somewhere on your right. Oh, and I hope you can wear the given outfits."

"I understand. Thank you," he bowed slightly, making his way towards his designated location.

Meanwhile, Yukiko had just finished with her work on her end. Every flower pots have been replaced and watered, and she ensured that the guests' rooms were nice and tidy.

Done with all that, she returned to the receptionists' counter, greeting her mother.

"Oh! Yuki," the woman called, gaining her friend's attention. "There was a friend that just came by recently. Wanted to see you."

"Really?" The girl was surprised. She hadn't received any messages on her phone whatsoever. "Was it Chie?"

"No. It was that boy with silver hair, quite tall?" She lifted her hand to the level of Yu's height. "And quite the dashing person as well~!"

"Oh? So Yu's here?" The look on her face indicated that she wasn't expecting him to be here of all places. And to see her of all things. For some unexplainable reason, she couldn't help but feel excited at the thought.

She remembered the way Chie had grown to become much more closer to the boy, so much so that he allowed him to call her by her name. They seemed to be even more friendlier ever since, something everyone took notice of.

And of course, her best friend was curious as well. She wanted to know just as badly as everyone else.

"Well, there's that, but he also came here to work here. Remember the flyers?" At that, her daughter's eyebrow cocked upwards in surprise. "Apparently, he saw one of our flyers, and wanted to try working here. Such a hardworking boy!"

"Ahh… Okay," she nodded in understanding, heart experiencing two separate emotions. On one part, she was impressed with her diligence, expecting nothing short of her leader. On the other, however, she was somehow disappointed. Why so, she knew not. "So, where is he working at?"

"He's in the kitchen. I assigned him as our chef," the mother answered.

A good choice, Yukiko told herself. The boy was just the best in that area.

"Well, you could go see him, if you'd like, that is. And do help him if he's having any troubles," the mother urged her, causing the daughter to chuckle.

"If you say so," she nodded softly, making her way to the dining area.

The room was adjacent to the kitchen, with a low table and everyone sat on cushions. The floors were made of bamboo, and the walls a hard oak that gave the room a natural feeling. On either sides of the doorway were vases with a mix of white, pink and red flowers, adding vibrant colours to the room.

Everyone were busy eating and drinking sake, making small talk as they did so. And at the back was—

"Whoa hoa!" She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard cheering, surprising her quite a bit—the place was usually quiet. Anyone who were busy eating earlier, were now joining in the encore, aiming their attention at the area where the chefs cooked.

"Yu?" Yukiko wondered just what he was doing that got all these people excited, and when she saw him, she finally understood.

In the kitchen, one could call Yu the true master of the arts of cooking, proven by how adept the boy was. Everyone were amazed at how fast he was, completing a multitude of tasks in just a span of seconds.

She could see her working with burners, a couple of them set at his station, with pans and lids to cover them. What was he going to make? She would find out soon.

'Okay… Based on that anime I watched, this shouldn't be too hard. A minute to cook the omelette on one side,' he told himself as he poured beaten eggs into a pan. 'Then a minute and a half to steam it.'

As he left the pans uncovered, cooking the eggs, he covered some others, turning off the fire and allowing the steam to do its work.

No man could possibly keep attention on more than just two matters. And yet, Yu managed to top the numbers, working on eight at a time. The first one, of which had completely undergone the whole process, was flipped into the air, all eyes on said egg dish. It made a few more turns, before finally bouncing on the plate that Yu brought up to catch it with. Setting it down, he spread handmade tomato sauce onto it, finished off with parsley.

And just like that, he moved on to the next batch, easily completing them alone.

No one could accurately follow his movements. Cracking eggs and separating them was far too easy for him, as his hands moved like a blur. As he beat the egg whites, he added heavy cream to the yolk, with seasoning to go with it, before mixing everything together.

All in all, he was putting on such a magic show.

 _"Damn, he's so fast!"_

 _"And they look so good too!"_

 _"I want one!"_

"Amazing…" Yukiko felt her face warm up, transfixed to her spot, entranced as he continued to work, impressing everyone with his skills. 'Each time he's working on one batch, he's already preparing for the another…'

There was no words to describe him. All that could be said, simply, was that he was too amazing.

After an hour of such a tiring task, and there was a brief respite from all the customers, Yu left the kitchen, sweat apparent on his face. That must have been quite the workload.

"Yu," the teen perked up at the familiar voice, turning around. It was Yukiko.

"Amagi-san…" He panted, bowing slightly.

"You look pretty worn out. Would you like anything?" She asked, asking him to sit down as she went to the kitchen.

"Water…" He breathed out.

The girl, after getting said item, returned to the dining area, handing it to the amazing cook. He made a silent thanks, before chugging it all down his throat, emptying it in a fraction of seconds.

That was quick.

"Thirsty, aren't you?" She giggled in amusement.

"Yeah…" He chuckled, setting the bottle down. Looking at the clocked on the wall, his eyebrows cocked upwards. It was showing six-twenty. "Wow, that was long. I better get going."

"Huh? Already?" He could hear the disappointment in her words, added with the frown on her face. He wondered why. "You can't stay a little bit longer?"

"No. I have to make dinner soon," he shook his head as he stood.

"Umm… Will you be working here next time?" She asked, sounding hopeful.

"Mmm… If you need my help, then yes," he answered, ready to make his way to the exit of the inn. "Anyways, I'll see you at school tomorrow, Amagi-san."

"Wait!" He stopped in his tracks when she suddenly called out to him. Turning around, he could very well see the blooming on her face, as if she were particularly nervous about something.

"Yes?" He asked back, staying his tongue right after. Give her the time to collect her words, he told himself.

"Y-Yukiko…" She spoke, too softly that he couldn't hear her. Seeing him tilt his head a bit to the side prompted her to speak a little bit louder. "I… want you to call me Yukiko…"

The surprised look on Yu's face was more than enough to tell that he was taken aback by that request, considering that only her best friend, Chie, was the only one to call her that.

Yukiko, on her end, wanted him to call her as such because there was a strange feeling in her gut. Something that twisted, only forming after everything had ended. She didn't know why, but… it was just there.

It was some time later, before he managed a smile.

"If you say so, Yukiko," he nodded, bringing a smile to the lass's face.

However, just as things were going rather smoothly, it seemed that fate had other plans for the two of them. Yu was already at the entrance, Yukiko being there to wave him off. When he opened it, however, he came face-to-face with a man wearing shades, with two other gents, one of them holding a large camera.

"Amagi-san! How are you?" The bespectacled man asked, bumping past Yu without acknowledging his presence.

"…Fine," she answered coolly, not even looking at him as they talked.

"Well, that's good! And I can tell that your place is fine as well. Although…" He snickered, tilting his glasses down. "There doesn't seem to be much visitors as usual, huh?"

Yu was ready to kick some sense into him, until he remembered the reason for this. Mayumi Yamano, the first victim of the TV World, had stayed at the Amagi Inn, after she left the city to avoid any of the media attention. This was due to the fact that she had an affair with a secretary, who already had a wife at the time. At the inn, she was mysteriously killed, discovered in the TV World, later on giving the inn the reputation of being haunted.

It made sense, that people would avoid a place where someone had died in. And yet, Yu knew, that there was someone else behind all fo this. There was a culprit, a man who caused everything that have happened up until now. He knew.

"So, I have a sugg—" The man began once more.

"And I refuse," she denied the suggestion much quicker than she had to anything else in her life, trying to sound polite.

"Ehh? But if this keeps going on, then your family business is surely going to go downhill!" Despite it being such a negative thought, he seemed to have taken such amusement in it. "Picture this! 'Amagi Inn, Brought Down to Shambles'! Wouldn't people be shocked to hear that?"

"Our inn's business will not lose. We will persevere," she reassured the man, though had the massive urge to just punch him in the face. Chie's tendencies have rubbed off on her a bit, it seems.

"Ohh? You sure about that? Just determination alone isn't going to serve you, little girl," his tone turned colder now, possibly desperate.

The man was ready to catch her shoulder, his hand very close, until a boy stepped in between the two of them, adopting a serious expression.

"Stop," he demanded, cold like the look on his face. "It isn't her inn's fault, nor is it anyone's. Whatever happened, happened."

And the teenager moved forwards, causing the older one to back up. He stared deadly past the shades, unnerving the latter.

"You just want to gain profit for yourself," he stated in a matter-of-factly tone. "If so, then whatever you have to offer is completely unnecessary. So please, leave."

"A-And what do you think you can do, huh?!" The man stuttered at the beginning, mentally cursing himself for that moment of weakness. He needed to be intimidating, but the boy was doing a much better job at that.

"As a customer, I can make a complaint to either your manager, or the police department, considering that my uncle is working there," he answered. Though his tone lacked any emotion, it was enough to scare the older man.

"F-F-Fine!" He finally gave up, marching straight out of the inn, his two companions following right after. One of them gave a short little bow, before leaving.

It was a brief moment of silence, before the two allowed a sigh to escape, sharing a look of joy; Yu being happy that he was able to help out, and Yukiko growing fonder of the boy, who had just defended her family's business.

Unbeknownst to the two, Yukiko's mother had been watching the whole thing, as she remained hidden behind a wall. A bright smile adorned her face, squealing in joy in her mind.

'My daughter's in love~!' The joyous giggles remained with her, even as she entered her bedroom that night.

The 'Priestess' Arcana shone brightly.

* * *

Rise and Himiko: The Uprising Idol

Arriving in Inaba, the girl with pigtails strode across the streets, looking for a specific house.

This person is Rise, better known as Risette, the famous idol known and beloved by all.

And yet, she had resigned from the position, finding the attention to have been too much. It wasn't that she didn't adore her fans. It was the fact that they adored her not because of who she was, but as an idol.

She loathed it. To be loved not as herself, but because she masked herself with an idol's façade. She absolutely hated it.

And, much to her chagrin, such a reputation spread to even this quiet little town. Everyone who saw her would immediately recognise her as Risette. Not Rise.

'It's not fair…' She mentally sighed, ignoring the looks from the people.

Moving into Inaba, she helps out at her grandmother's tofu shop, the 'Marukyu Tofu'. Ever since her appearance, however, people have mostly been coming just to get a look of her, or even have an interview or two.

It felt like Hell. She wasn't safe anywhere in this world. But with one encounter with a certain boy, everything was going to change.

* * *

On one fateful day, she went to Junes to purchase some ingredients for the tofu shop. Getting everything she needed, she made her way to leave. After some time, she noticed that someone was following her.

Obviously, she was used to the concept of having stalkers trailing her everywhere she went. And yet, this time however, she couldn't help but feel worried.

The way the person merely walked out in the open made it seem that he was rather confident. His footsteps were steady, no sounds of carelessness present.

'Crud… This is bad..!' She quickened her pace, wanting to lose him as quickly as she could. Even as she waded through the crowds and taking farther routes, he seemed capable of following after her, no matter how far ahead she was.

Trepidation rising even quicker now, she half-ran half-jogged to the nearest elevator door, clicking on the panel and stepping into it. She looked down, quickly pushing the 'Close' button.

And from the corner of her eye, she saw him, running towards her!

*Crush!*

"GhaAAH!" Her follower screamed as his hand slid through the gap between the closing doors, barely keeping them open as they slowly crushed it.

"Eeeeh!" Rise screamed, unsure of what to do, before the mysterious person managed to get his other hand over one of the doors, pushing both open, revealing a handsome boy with grey hair. "W-W-What do you want?!"

"You…" He brought out something from his pocket, holding a fuzzy keychain. "Dropped this earlier."

Shakily, he moved his hands over hers, dropping it onto her palm.

"Sorry for seeming like a stalker…" He laughed, a mix of pain in it, as he stepped into the elevator, sucking air through gritted teeth as he clutched his painful hand.

It felt like it was _burning_.

"S-Sorry about that…" The girl looked down, somewhat shameful that she allowed someone to get hurt, just because she was being paranoid. If only he said something.

"It's alright," he shook his head, sighing when a bit of the pain dulled away. "You were just playing it safe. Anything's possible, after all."

"R-Right. Thank you…" She nodded slowly, lacking any words to say at the moment.

The doors finally closed shut, as the elevator descended, going down the levels to reach ground floor.

"H-Hey…" The boy turned to the girl, who was averting her gaze away from him. "Are you a student of Yasogami High School?"

"Hmm?" Perking up, he looked at himself, realising that he was wearing his school's uniform. "Ah, yeah, I am. Are you also..?"

"Y-Yeah. I'm a first-year there," she nodded. "Well, not yet, that is. I'll be enrolling in the school two days from now."

"I see…" A hum of understanding, and his gaze fell from her, dropping to the ground as his eyebrows furrowed, deep in thought.

For some inexplainable reason, there was a fuzzy sense of recognition. Does he know her? Surely not. And yet, the thought kept returning to him each time he disposed of it, sharper than before. Had he seen her in a webpage on the Internet? He never used the computer much, so that was out. Could her face have been shown on the news once, however? He wasn't sure about that, but he supposed asking was better than to ponder on this, only to be left answerless.

"Have I seen you before?" He asked her, going straight to the point. Beating around the bush was definitely _not_ Yu's style.

"Hmm? I'm… not entirely sure. Unless you're talking about… _Risette_ ," she hissed the title. "Then yes. You've probably seen me on the news," there was a high amount of displeasure in her words, lingering in her throat as she sighed.

She wondered as to what could be his response to her statement. She had seen enough movies and enough news to expect one of two responses.

One, he would feel himself blessed by the gods to finally meet her', before he'd be gushing like a stream, asking for her signature and the like. That was something she didn't want so much, but she couldn't discount the possibility.

Two, there is the chance where he would feel shock at first, later overwritten by grief; grieving over the fact that she had officially put down her position as idol. She's gotten enough of that in her mail, thank you very much. No need for that face-to-face.

And yet, a word the boy's friends would use to describe him, was that he was unpredictable. None could ever understand him, and it was times like these that truly proved the point.

His eyes widened, just as she had expected, but the words that came out of his mouth took her to her own world of surprise.

"Aha! That's it!" He pounded his open palm with his fist, as if he had just discovered an impossible mystery that had remained elusive for years.

"Pfft…" She stifled a laughter, relishing in the kiddish look on his face. "You never knew before this?"

"Huh? Oh, well, uhh… I don't really watch the news very much, to be honest," he admitted, blushing out of embarrassment. "Well, except for the weather, that is."

"Really? _Weather_?" At that, she couldn't hold back the laughter, which lasted for a few minutes. He didn't say anything, his face a passive expression as he watched her. "Well, that's a first."

"Forgive me for not recognising you earlier," he did a short bow, responded with a shake of the head from her.

"It's fine. It's… actually relieving, surprisingly. To meet someone who's never really known me as Risette," she grinned, feeling a weight on her shoulders fade into nothing. "That just means that you'll be the first person to know me as Rise."

She extended a hand, a friendly gesture that he took well. He took it, feeling how soft she felt. Her hand was so small, so fragile, as if it had been made to be protected.

"My name's Rise Kujikawa. A pleasure to meet you," she introduced herself with a soft smile, looking much happier than he had seen her before. All the tension was lost, and there was a sense of friendliness in her gaze.

"Yu Narukami," he returned the gesture with his own, making sure not to avert her gaze away from her. It would be rude otherwise. "Welcome to Inaba."

* * *

After she had moved into the quiet town of Inaba, things had been looking up for the once-was idol.

For one, she was beginning to make _real_ friends. Through Yu, she had met others, such as the flirtatious Teddie, the enthusiastic Yosuke, the exuberant Chie, the gentle Yukiko, and the surprisingly soft-hearted Kanji.

It was one strange occurrence after that. Pulled into the 'TV World' against her wishes, and forced to face against her darkest thoughts given shape. And yet, with help from her new friends and her favourite senpai, she's managed to overcome it, accepting it as part of herself in the end.

Two, she had been getting help from everybody's favourite silver-head in a lot of things. He had frequented to the Amagi Inn, later on to the 'Marukyu Tofu' once in a while. New recipes, ideas, and at times, just to clean the place up. More people came, and needless to say, they looked satisfied. That felt nice.

Long had she had a crush on the boy she met in the elevator. But it was the third and final reason that planted the seed of adoration in her heart.

On a simple day like any other, she walked to the high school she attended, walking alongside Chie and Yukiko, both of whom she met on the way there.

When they reached their school, the three girls parted ways, getting ready for their own separate classes—it was a pity that she wasn't a second-year, or she could have been in the same class as Yu.

In any case, things were relatively normal. During recess, she visited her senpai's class, noticing the absence of said lad. She frowned, but decided to hang out with the others. Kanji was there too, so it felt less awkward.

As the time went on, trying to keep the conversation flowing, the girl finally had enough of things, wanting to just ask about the whereabouts of the piece that glued all of them together—she thought so, considering that he was the very reason why all of them became friends in the first place.

"Umm, everyone?" The rest turned to look at Rise, who sported a curios look. "Do any of you know where Yu-senpai is?"

"Oh yeah. He said he had something to do, so he left class early," Yosuke answered, before he slumped in his seat, sighing. "And of course, he's finished his classwork already. He's a genius, no doubt…"

"Oh, don't worry too much about that. None of us are as smart as him anyways," Chie gave a shrug, everyone sharing in a nod. It was no exaggeration to just say that. He's proven himself in a battle of intellect in a couple of ways already; both in class and off it.

From there, they fell into a moment of silence, lacking anything to really say. Usually, they'd be talking about random things, or the 'TV World'. And yet, that only worked because Yu himself was there. This time, however, things… weren't slightly as fine, however.

*Crash!*

"Everyone!" A random student slid the door open in a quick moment, receiving the attention of everyone in the classroom, especially the 'Investigation Team'. "Narukami-kun is in trouble!"

* * *

There was only so much that one could take, before they'd retreat into their simple instincts. This was a trait that every species passed down to their descendants, no matter what.

Instincts are possibly triggered in a situation that speaks of the unexpected. Either of fear, anger, joy, or any other possibly emotions there is, it is then where man shall enter a state of effort, determined to get something, or avoid something.

And in this instance, it was more of the instinct to _protect_.

Just randomly crashing into their classroom could have been deemed rude—Yu was never one to do so, after all—but the moment he spoke of said person being in danger, there was a cold feeling in her being.

A pit that dropped so low, all light gone down it and unretrievable. It felt so hollow, so surreal, that she almost took it for her cue to throw up.

"What?!" The other two girls of the team stood up, shock evident in their pupils. Of course, considering their growing affection for the boy, there was no doubt that they'd obviously be worried.

"Where is Yu?!" The two males joined the other girls, horrified. They were strong friends with the silver-head, so it made sense that they wanted their safety.

"He's at the cafeteria—" The student spoke. "Whoa!"

And even a second lesser, before he could even finish his sentence the group of five rushed out of the room, every other students opting to remain, murmuring amongst each other.

Yosuke was in distress, and he knew just as strong that the others were just the same. Their leader was in trouble. That was all there is, but they shared a sense of concern, which spurred them on, towards the place where the student had said him to be at.

Arriving there, out of breaths, there was no sign of the silverette. Everywhere they looked, there was nothing. Nothing that caught their attention… until they saw the massive crowd of girls, swarming, pause for effect—

"Senpai!" Kanji was first to holler, a wide-eyed look being shot from him. And it made sense why.

There was no denying it. What was currently happening could be taken as a simple situation, mistaken for something else. However, the bare truth that came before them was just immensely horrifying, and none knew how to truly interpret it, except face the truth.

Yosuke looked jealous, shocked and all the while blown to bits. The way his jaw slammed against the ground, eyes the size of pans was enough to elicit attention from others.

Kanji was undoubtedly worried, so that was that. His senpai looked to be in trouble, and his mind could only imagine how suffocating it was to be surrounded by that many people.

As for the girls… They were deadly envious. The glares that was being shot from the three of them would have been enough to kill any man, were glares capable of doing so in the first place.

"P-Please..! I'd like to go!" Yu desperately tried to pry the younger, the same-aged, and the upperclassmen away from him, but this massive horde of the opposite sex were either stubborn, unable to hear them due to all their angered screaming, or that they did hear, but they decided otherwise.

He was so caught up in just trying to get away from them, that it shocked him when suddenly—

*Fwoo!*

"Whoa!" He was sent flying into the air, catching a mere glimpse of green cloth down below. 'Wait a minute… Chie..?!'

His thoughts were cut short as he began his descent from the air, eyes bulging wide when he suddenly felt arms encircle him, catching him in his fall.

"Kanji?" He blinked, only now realising that it was his blonde kouhai who had just saved him.

"Yup! Hold on tight, senpai! This is going to be a rough ride!" He smirked, before breaking into a run, accelerating faster than the crowd could even hope to blink.

And when the realisation finally cracked itself upon their little minds, it was then—

 _"HE'S RUNNING!"_

That a loud, collective screams of the female group could be heard, resonating within the walls of Yasogami High School. Men and women on the outside, kindly refrain from not shutting your ears.

* * *

That Evening

"Rise..!" Yu called, but to avail, said idol merely kept walking forwards, never looking back. "Rise!"

She stopped in her tracks all of a sudden, turning on her heels, freezing him in place with her little frown, almost looking like a pout there. It looked cute, no doubt, but he'd be dead before he'd be able to voice it out.

"Why were those girls fawning over you..?" She asked with a strained voice, trying to hide the jealousy that seeped in her words. She wouldn't want to scare her favourite senpai, if anything.

"A-Ahh…" He flinched at that, averting her gaze as a trickle of sweat made itself apparent on the side of his face. "I-It was nothing… Really…"

There was a brief moment of silence, one that the lad hated. It was unnecessary, no doubt, and it was considered his fault, since his words were the result to this little situation. He mentally clicked his tongue, turning to face the girl once more.

He moved his lips to say something, but the words died in his throat just as quick. He frowned, quickly putting together a sentence. When one was completed, he spoke it out loud.

"Rise," he called her, watching as her head slowly moved so her eyes gazed into his.

"What?" She didn't want to sound cold, but it came out that way. Realising her slip, she frowned, not daring to look at him.

"I… actually have a reason why I was with all those girls earlier," he spoke, earning her attention. When she looked at him, she could see the slightly pained expression. "They… were making fun of you, Rise."

"Huh?" And just like that, all the tension left her, leaving her to stare at him with a wide-eyed expression, unable to remain angry at her forever.

"I was just about to buy something, until I noticed them talking about something. Of course, I wanted to leave, but then I heard them mention you. When I got closer, I…" He gulped, shutting his eyes. "I kinda' had a fight with them, and they…"

The whole story, cut short and simple, was that Yu had basically fought for his friend's defence, unable to bear the dry berating that were aimed at the girl.

She remembered falling for the lad once. She felt infatuated with him, so dashing and doing everything for the sake of others before him. And now… her heart skipped beats, and she couldn't help but feel as if she had just fallen for him all over again.

That feeling was so soft, so fuzzy, that it made her smile. Her titters left her right after, and she could feel heat rise to her cheeks. Her body was showing obvious nervousness, and she couldn't hold her brown orbs from staring into his grey ones, warmth and adoration in her eyes.

"U-Umm… Thank you, Yu-senpai…" She spoke softly, trying hard not to falter. He smiled, shaking his head as a response.

"It's fine, really. It's natural, isn't it?" He turned on his heels, tilting his head to the side. She took the gesture well, standing to his side as they walked together, leaving the school behind. "I'll be there to help you, and anyone out, no matter what."

The 'Lovers' Arcana shone brightly.

* * *

Naoto and Sukuna-Hikona: She Who Seeks the Truth

Walking towards the familiar structure, acting as the entrance for the students into the campus, the boy stayed his neutral look, emitting a silent aura as he walked.

He wore the generic uniform every male student would don, added with a blue cap that matched the colour of his hair.

Just as he was close to stepping foot in to school territory, he caught notice of the same silver-haired boy he's seen all the time with that strange group of his, seemingly waiting for someone. Getting closer, he finally noticed the bluenette, waving at him once.

"Good morning," he greeted.

"Good morning…" The blue-haired boy nodded.

They've never really met, but he did remember seeing the boy a couple of times. He remembered pulling back Kanji, the blonde boy wearing the skull shirt, for a short interrogation. After a lot of things have settled, however, he noticed just how much time the blonde tended to spend with his senpai's, something of which he didn't particularly mind.

But, no matter how hard he looked at it, the silverette was always at the centre of it all, being the glue that pieced all of them together. It was fascinating, and admittedly something the bluenette was envious of. He had just about everything, he told himself.

"Excuse me," he was brought out of his thoughts when the lad called for him. "I'd like to ask you something."

"Of course," the blue-haired underclassman gave a nod. "What is it?"

"What is your name?" He asked, flat out.

"And why is my name of any significance to you?" He asked back. He wasn't trying to sound cold, but the way he just asked for his name out of the blue seemed suspicious at most.

"Because I don't want to just call you you. It would be considered rude," he explained, and the logic behind it was understandable enough, given how the boy nodded back in understanding. "I'm Yu Narukami."

The lad was surprisingly straightforward, which wouldn't really come as a whole shock to his friends. It was just the way he rolled, apparently. Due to the boy's status as a detective, many would tend to stay away from him. Yes, they would at the very least bat an eyelash at him, but none dared to speak to him directly.

This was new. Someone was actually conversing with him? And it was because of this that the bluenette found himself laughing.

"Well, I can't deny you of your request, since you're quite the breath of fresh air," the other boy was visibly confused at the other's choice of words, but decided not to say anything. "Naoto Shirogane. A pleasure to meet you."

"And I as well," Yu nodded, and the two parted ways.

* * *

Naoto Shirogane was beyond the normal intellect of man, that was no doubt.

Others wouldn't truly count on his academics, but he still was able to count himself amongst some of the smartest in his class. He was just that capable.

But if someone wanted to truly find where he belonged, then it was his skills as a detective that made him stand out amongst the others.

His skills of deduction and investigation were what made him a well-known student in his class, and it came from his time learning under his grandfather. He prided his skills as a detective, and possibly the best, coming from a respected lineage of famous detectives. He would discover the truth behind the case that is tossed at him, no matter what.

And yet…

Being a detective was a strenuous task at times. He wishes to assist in cases, but the fact that the higher-ups see him as nothing more than a child infuriates him to no end. Then there was the other problem, but he didn't dare speak it out loud.

But all that gets revealed the moment he becomes the victim of the rumoured 'Midnight Channel'.

Tossed into a world where absolutely nothing makes sense, he comes face-to-face with his own 'Shadow', only to reveal to the 'Investigation Team'—the group of which Yu hangs out with—the truth.

That this he, was indeed a she.

That was the last straw. She tried so hard not to break down into a crying fit, not to be weak.

'This…' She thought as her robotic 'Shadow' looked at her, imagining a twisted grin on its facial expression. 'I hate this…'

Would everyone truly have no need for her? Was she just a burden?

And just before those dangerous thoughts really took a bad turn—

*Bam!*

 **"Gah!"** Naoto's 'Shadow' revolted backwards, a broken arm the aftermath from the attack it received. **"Who dare—"**

*Tk! Tk! Tk!*

"Naoto!" Yu shouted as he ran towards her location, Izanagi trailing behind him.

"Senpai…" She gulped, held down to the work table by the tight restraints on her wrists.

Drawing his katana from the sheathe clipped to his waist in one swift motion, he tore the worktable apart easily, catching the androgynous girl in his arms before rolling, minimising the pressure before breaking into a run.

"Izanagi! Cleave her!" The silverette shouted, his Persona giving a nod before flying towards the robotic 'Shadow', failing to cut her down due to her speed.

 **"You'll never defeat me! None of you will!"** She shouted, launching plastic rockets from her back that zipped towards the samurai-like Persona, who blocked it all with his katana.

"A little help!" Yu requested.

"Got it! Tomoe, get em'!" Chie shotued, her Persona blowing an ice storm towards the 'Shadow'. And yet, despite how wide of an area the attack covered, it failed to get the robotic figure. "Damn, she's fast!"

Konohana Sakuya followed up right after, raining fire towards the robot, who still kept evading the attacks.

"She's too fast! We need something especially strong to keep her in place!" Rise informed the rest. "If not, she's just going to keep dodging our attacks!"

"Let me have a shot at em'!" Kanji smirked, Take-Mikazuchi hurling its lightning bolt towards the robot, but still failing to hit her. "Okay, screw that. It won't work. Where the hell is Yosuke-sen—"

Oh yeah, everyone thought in unison. He and Kuma both got aged. Jeez, they looked terrifying to look at…

As all of that went down, Yu managed to distance himself from the field of battle, taking cover behind a pillar as he watched his teammates deal with the bluenette's 'Shadow'.

"Naoto, are you fine?" He asked, a neutral look on his face betrayed by the worry that laced in his words.

"I-I'm…" She trailed off, not daring to look into his eyes.

Now that her secret was out, she felt weak. Terrified, even. There was no way she could look anyone in the eye anymore. It was scary of what they thought of her now.

Everyone looked up to her as Naoto, the 'Detective Prince'. Would the people's hopes shatter, now that they have discovered her to be the opposite sex?

All of these thoughts were so scary, so intimidating, that it made her want to just roll into a ball and just shut her eyes from the outside.

"Naoto?" Slowly, his tone grew strained, and it took him a moment to calm down. "Talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."

"And why do you care..?" She shot back, biting her tongue after she realised the way she spoke. The look of shock on her senpai's face only intensified her guilt, and she lost her strength to look at him once again.

And yet, the sigh that came afterwards, held no annoyance, yet there was… acceptance?

"Because we care about you," he answered easily, gaining her attention. She looked up into his grey orbs, unable to discern what she said. "Naoto, I don't care whether you're a girl or not, but you are our friend. If there's something I can do to help, I'm not going to back out of the chance.

As if struck by a metaphorical arrow, she could feel a strange weight on her chest lifting, faded into nothing. Chuckling, he stood up, offering her his hand.

"All of us were afraid of who we are, stuck between wanting to become someone else and who we are now. And yet, we've faced ourselves, and came to accept it in the end," his words were like a silent poem, yet orchestrated to be gentle to the ears. "You don't plan to run away now, do you? Will you not become who you want to really be?"

She continued to listen, a seed of trust planted in her, giving her the courage to just believe in her senpai.

She took his hand.

The 'Wheel of Fortune' Arcana shone brightly.

* * *

Velvet Room

In this unknown space, draped with the colour velvet, resides a pointy-nosed man, master of the very room they sat in, and his assistant, with platinum hair and wearing a velvet dress.

As of currently, she was busy flipping through the pages of the tome she constantly carries with her, at awe with what she was seeing.

"Amazing… To think that he's already maximised his bonds with his friends so quickly…" She muttered, amazed. Never had she seen anyone completing their 'Social Link' with anyone so quickly.

"Kekeke… He is an interesting individual, is he not?" The man chuckled, glancing at his assistant. "I implore you to continue watching his progress. I foresee an… interesting event is about to happen…"

"Really?" Her question was met with a nod. "I see… If you say so, Master Igor."

* * *

22nd of December: Two Days Before They Stole His Heart

Yu Narukami, known as a member of the 'Investigation Team', was a lot of things.

A high school student who transferred from the city, who attended his high school life in Yasogami High School, located in Inaba.

A pretty good cook, if he had anything to say about that. He prided himself about said skill, particularly happy that he was able to make his uncle and cousin a satisfying meal countless times, either for lunch and dinner.

And most obviously, he was the leader of the 'Investigation Team', leading the group through thick and thin as they tackled countless cases. Sure, they've seen their fair share of ups and downs, but he would be damned if he called himself a terrible leader, something everyone else would say otherwise. They've accomplished many feats, and it was because of that lone fact that he could remain smiling, even if he faced off against stronger 'Shadows'.

But the simplest fact there was, was that he was someone who valued his friendship with others. In fact, Igor and Margaret themselves advised him to forge bonds with the people he meet, so to become stronger in the long run.

And he did.

The people he's met along the way were of varying backgrounds and ethnics, yet he's managed to secure a tight bond of his own with everyone.

Yosuke Hanamura, his loyal and good partner. Kanji Tatsumi, a hothead whose heart in the right place. His uncle Ryotaro Dojima. The fox with that bib around its neck, surprisingly enough. Kou Ichijo, a member of the Basketball Team. Naoki Konishi, who was brother to Saki Konishi, Yosuke's crush. Shu Nakajima, a student of whom Yu's tutored before. And of course, the befriended 'Shadow' Kuma.

But those were _just_ the dudes. And then there were the female side.

Yukiko Amagi and Chie Satonaka respectively, best friends through and through. Margaret, ever the devoted assistant to Igor she is. Rise Kujikawa, an idol who adores him—even more than that, safe to say. His own cousin Nanako Dojima. Naoto Shirogane, the 'Detective Prince'. An old widow by the name 'Hisano Kuroda'. Eri Minama, young mother to a single child. Sayoko Uehara, who was a nurse. Ai Ebihara, a fellow student who has feelings for Kou. And Ayane Matsunaga', who was a trombone player.

Looking back now, he wondered just how far he's come along. To forge bonds with so many people left him wondering how life would have been like if he had never met them. It was so strange… and it was more than enough to make him smile.

He was grateful for the chance to meet so many people, and it was apparent that he took the advice to heart.

And another thing to note, which was hard to decipher, considering the extremely smooth way he treats the opposite sex…

Was that he didn't really care about love.

Sure, it was never really neglected completely, but between his duties as a student, the leader of the 'Investigation Team', and everything else, love was never at the top of his list of priorities.

So when he came to each girl from his team, asking them to secure their time so to be free on the twenty-fourth of December, which was precisely the day of Christmas Eve—a day where, mind you, lovers spend their day together—he was actually inviting them to a party on said day.

Obviously, he'd be inviting everyone else as well. Everyone, including the boys. It wouldn't be fair otherwise, right?

The girls had never been notified first and foremost, but with Naoto's amazing deductive skills, and a bit of hacking—it was strangely her alley—gave them everything they needed to know.

On Christmas Eve, everyone would be gathering for a party. Simple as that.

However, today, they had reached a compromise. Every one of them possessed a place for him in their hearts, and they loved him just as much as the other does. They shared what they know, learning, learning that their favourite silver-head would come to them, so to invite them out on 24th December.

And thus, they came together, planning for that very day, to solve their biggest case yet.

* * *

24th of December: The Day They Stole His Heart

"Alright. So everything will go as planned, right?" Rise asked once more, just to make sure. She really wanted this whole thing to go smoothly.

"Yeah. All we have to do is arrive there at exactly the same time," Yukiko nodded, a strange look of determination on her face. "Besides, the boys wouldn't be able to come."

Apparently, each of them had things to do. Yosuke and Teddie were busy with work at Junes so to say, and Kanji had to take his mother to the hospital.

A bonus for them!

"So then, all we need to do, is get there, and we'll set everything up…" Naoto spoke next, offering a silent prayer for all of them. "Let today be the day…"

" _That we steal his heart!"_

And of course, at the Dojima residence, a boy with silver hair shuddered. Why was he suddenly having doubts of asking everyone to the party?

Yu was told by Kuma that both he and Yosuke were unable to assist him in the preparation for the party, something he was surprised about, considering that Kanji wouldn't be there to help him as well. So basically, he was alone in this. What now?

Luckily enough, Kuma said that he'd get some help for the lad, so he was grateful for that.

A bit of time later, all four girls were outside of the house, giving each other a confident nod. It was game time!

*Creak!*

"Senpai!" Rise called out from the door, stepping in without wasting a moment.

"Eh? Rise?" Yu blinked, mentally wondering why Kuma had called for _her_ for help out of all the people there was.

"Neh, neh, Senpai! Can I stay in your room for a while? There's something that I need to check," she told him, not giving him the time to respond before she moved up the stairs. "Okay, thanks!"

"Wait, Rise..!" He tried to stop her, but she was already upstairs before he even knew it. Well, there goes Plan A. 'Wait a minute… Kuma didn't call her, did he?'

If he did, then the girl would have probably offered her help, just as any normal person would. And yet, she seemed to have completely ignored that fact, or that she was never really asked for help in the first place.

Well, never mind then. He supposed it was fine.

*Knock knock!*

"Yu?" Said lad didn't even have time to return to the kitchen, before the door suddenly opened, revealing a well-dressed Yukiko. "Good to see you."

"Ahh… Yukiko," he nodded, sweat on the side of his face. After her making him call her by her first name, he supposed he had to, although it did feel weird. "You're early."

"Well, yes! As the people say, the early bird gets the worm!" She giggled in her hand, not needing to point out that he was the metaphorical worm. Inwardly smirking, she feigned a yawn, one that her friend took notice of. "Fwuahh… Forgive me for that. I hadn't slept much yesterday."

"Really? Well…" He scratched the side of his face, uncertain if this would be alright, only to shake the thought away. This was his friend. Surely, there would be no problem with that. "If you'd like, you can stay here in the meantime."

"Really?" Her question was met with a nod, eliciting a grateful smile from the woman. "Thank you, Yu!"

She excused herself right after, making her way to the living room to sit. The lad, feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place—for some reason he was unable to put a finger on—he could only sigh at the way things were turning out.

This was _really_ confusing, even for him, who had solved multiple death cases.

'No matter. I need to prepare everything else, before anyone else gets here,' was what he had to say in his mind. Instead—

*Knock knock!*

'Another one?!' An electric jolt ran in the backgrounds, accompanying the way his eyes literally grew to sizes of dishes. Gulping, he called out. "Yes?"

The door swung open, revealing a happy-looking Chie, who walked into the house with a luggage bag in her hand. There seemed to be a lot of stuff in it, judging by how heavy it looked.

"Hey, Yu..!" She waved, huffing as she placed the bag down. "Sorry. I know it's way too early, but I thought, 'Hey, why not?', am I right?"

"A-Ahh… Right," he nodded, more curious as to what was in that bag than anything else. Still, he pushed the thought aside. "Do you need help with that?"

"Sure, if you're fine with it," she smiled, offering him the bag. When he took it, only then did he realise the severe magnitude of such an object, incredibly heavy. How could Chie carry this here all the way from home? "Can you leave it up in your room?"

"Hmm? My room?" It was an odd choice, for sure, which had him questioning her.

"Well, I feel safe with it being there. I'm going to be in your garden at the back for a while," she told him, leaving the house once more. "Thanks!"

She left him hanging, blinking as to whether he should be fulfilling her strange request. Looking at it, there was the urge to just open it and just look inside it. But that would be unbefitting of him. And so, he did as she told, leaving it in his room.

Setting the luggage down, he groaned, popping his back. Who would've thought that it was bad enough?

Descending the flight of stairs, he was more than ready so to resume with his original task, only to have it botched.

Again.

"Yu-senpai," Naoto stopped short before the door, not wanting to step in just like that. She wasn't like the others, after all. "May I come in?"

"Y-Yeah, you can," he nodded, mentally wondering if he had been cursed by some foreign god from wherever he resided in. The bluenette said her thanks, stepping into the house.

"Was I too early?" She asked, producing an uncertain expression, which was pretty close to the original.

"Well, somewhat," somewhat would have not done her justice. "But I suppose it is fine. Would you like anything, in the meantime?"

"Mmm… A cup of water would be fine," she told him, responded with a nod from the boy.

The moment he turned around, he could feel a sudden tingle in his being. Like a… sign that something was going to happen.

He was ready to turn around—

"Wha—Hey!" Only to be suddenly dragged upstairs by his blue-haired friend, who didn't even spare him a glance. She merely kept running up the stairs, making progress to his room, and all he could do was just barely keep up.

*Bam!*

'My door…' Truly, he would be needing to pay for that with money directly from his wallet next time.

Slowing down until she was finally inanimate, she turned around, making a swift bow, before leaving the room with the luggage.

Wait a second. Wasn't Rise here just—

*Click!*

"Huh..?" His eyes barely managed to blink before his ears caught the sound of his doorknob clicking in place. Turning around, he eyed the object, wondering if… no, it couldn't be.

Slowly, he made his way towards the door, each step becoming increasingly heavy, yet hopeful. Staring at it in silence, he gulped, allowing his hand to rest on the spherical thing made of iron. Sucking in air through his nose, he tried to twist it.

Only to then feel it not bulge at all.

Stubborn, he thought. He applied more force, but it remained in its position. No twists, no change in looks… Nothing.

Yup, it was a given. He was locked in here.

" _Yu-senpai!_ " He could hear Rise's voice from the other side.

"Rise?" It took him aback for a moment there, before he regained his composure, speaking in a more worried tone now. "Rise, please let me out. I need to—"

" _Nope! We're not letting you out!_ " She answered just as quick, gaining a groan from the lad. " _Unless… you change into your school uniform._ "

"Huh?" That was the strangest request ever. In his shoes, he was technically kidnapped, yet the only payment for his freedom was for him to swap his current outfit for the one he would wear in Yasogami High School?

" _Come on, Senpai! If you want out, then you'll have to do as we say~!_ " His mind clicked on one part of her words. _We_? Does this mean that everyone else were in on this together?

Sighing, he couldn't help the chuckle that came after. How much things have changed. Where they were once girls who had suffered with a part of themselves, now they have grown into people of whom anyone, including themselves, can be proud of.

He would deny it, but it was he himself that aided in their progress.

Deciding that it would be better to just get this over with, if he would ever wish to see the outside—not that it would be too hard to escape this room, since he could just jump out of the window, though at the risk of breaking his legs somewhat—he moved to his cupboard, pulling out his uniform.

With a sigh, he removed every article of clothing that was once on his body, replacing them with the familiar white shirt and black blazer, as well as the black pants. He felt comfortable in these, but he wasn't sure why it was necessary for him to be wearing this.

It felt _too_ easy.

"Alright, I'm done," he told them, putting away the previous clothes into the drawer. "Can I leave now?"

" _No! We're coming in, so please wait!_ " Rise's voice boomed once more, eliciting a roll of the eyes from the lad.

When the doorknob made its second click today, he looked intently at the door, wondering what he would bear witness to—

Only to see all the four girls coming in, wearing their school uniforms as usual. Chie with her green jacket, Yukiko in that red dress, Rise in the typical outfit, and Naoto in the male's uniform.

He looked at them, finding them to be attractive as always. And them at him, he was just as dashing, if not more than usual.

Okay, now things were _seriously_ getting out of hand.

"Alright, enough chit-chat. What is going on?" He crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. All this confusing stuff in a day was too much for him to handle, so he would like it if he could get his answers now, thank you very much.

"You still can't tell, Senpai? My, you sure are cute~!" Rise giggled, the others merely flashing simple smiles at him.

"No, seriously, what is going on?" He repeated his question, sighing.

The urge to just leave and resume with his work was tantalising. It would make the headache just go away, easy as that.

But as soon as he tried to move forwards, all four girls stood before him, baring what seemed to be a hunter's grin—the type that they only show when they've caught the prey they've been dying to get their hands on.

Turns out, he was the prey they were searching for. And hunter does not necessarily mean they were hungry, no.

Putting pieces together, he soon understood the whole story.

"Yu… you've been pretty dense all this time, so we supposed it was time to show you what you've never seen…" The black-haired lass licked her lips, pursing them and making a seductive grin, one that he had never seen her put on before.

"Y-You girls are kidding, right..?" He was nervous. Why wouldn't he be? He had just fallen into a trap of serpents, who were possibly, and without doubt craving for a taste of him.

Unless you were a person with a fetish for this sort of stuff, then you'd be scared beyond beliefs.

"We're not," Naoto shook her head, an unnatural flush on her face. "W-We'll… show you just how much we love you!"

And even before anyone had anything else to say, mouths opened and breaths released, a certain brunette jumped forwards, catching his lips using her own.

And when shock had overwritten his system at first, he soon found himself returning the action, ignoring the way every other girl were just shocked with just what happened, and that Rise was busy sucking on his tongue to even care.

And then, everything snapped!

"Hey, no fair!" Chie visibly fumed, getting a rough grip on her underclassman's shoulder, shoving her to the side to claim Yu's.

And from there, it was just switching from one girl to the other, tasting variations of a girl's lips and what lay inside of it. It all happened much too quick, all of them suddenly turning against one another, before they suddenly knocked him down onto his bed—although it wasn't even any of their intentions—his legs dangling from the edge of the bed.

And as always, it was the idol that made the first move, undoing his belt and later his pants, dropping them down to the floor. Easily tearing his boxers to shreds—he would need to buy more soon enough—his once-was flaccid member soon stood at full attention, stiff and hard.

And without wasting a moment—

"Oh—HohaaAA!" He gasped, jolting backwards as the girl caught his member in her lips, gently sucking on the head, before she consumed even more, sucking hard, yet delicately at the same time. How does that even work?!

"Oh, you are so not getting the spotlight!" Everyone else, despite lagging behind, were ready to turn the tables.

Without further ado, the self-proclaimed martial artist—and she was damn great at it too—pushed him down so to lie on his back, her lips coming to massage his. He tried to get away, but her best friend soon came to tease his nipples, eliciting a moan from the boy.

Naoto, slowly but surely, undid her outfit, leaving just the strings that were wrapped around her chests to remain. Sucking air through her nostrils, she walked forwards, determined to get this right.

In one swift motion, she did three things; released her supple breasts from their bindings, a large size compared to most, managed to push Chie aside, and plant his face directly into her chest.

That there was more than enough to send his mind on a trip to 'How the hell did she do that?!', if nothing before this did.

"Y-You deserve to relax, senpai…" She breathed out, obviously nervous, if one were to take her shaking into account. Still, she remained firm, not wanting to go.

And it was her words that soon nullified all the pleasure that he was receiving, giving him enough time to comprehend everything that was going on. To truly put together the pieces that had once been lost to him, to finally reach the truth.

And the truth was simpler than anything else. They loved him.

Throughout the year, he had done so many things that he had considered normal and fine, only for said thought to come crashing down in this very moment. Every of his actions had lead to this specific outcome.

No wonder the boys looked amazed and jealous—Yosuke, no doubt. He had won their hearts without it not even being his intention from the start.

Smirking, his senses soon returned, and in place of his previous shock now was his determination. Just as he had possessed the strength to face danger, time and time again, he would wield that strength once more, to face the girls before him.

All he had to do was keep up with this, and give back the love they were giving him.

With his tactics in mind, he hummed into Naoto's breasts, hearing a shaky moan leave her. Wanting to go slow, he grabbed the side of a mound, filling his hand easily.

"S-Senpai…" She breathed his name out, face flushed like the others, albeit a deeper crimson, contrasting well with her hair.

"Don't worry. Just go on your own pace," he smiled behind her chest, earning a nod. Groaning slightly, he began thrusting his hips forwards and back, the gesture noticed by his kouhai, who tried to reciprocate the action by ensuring their movements were equal. "Hrhh… Yukiko, Chie… Sit beside me…"

His instructions, despite muffled by the bluenette's large chest, which sent jolts of pleasure throughout her being, was heard clearly. Both girls confused, they did so.

Eyes glinting with a sense of courage, he lifted his hands into the air, before they dove forwards.

"HhNHAA..!"

"Hshhi..!"

Both girls groaned as a finger pressed past their underwear, flicking across the folds of their flower. He gyrated his fingers even more, making sure that they could feel it.

"Y-Yu..! D-Don't—Hahh..!" He knew she was trying to tell him not to stop, and he followed her command quite well. The brunette moaned, feeling his finger slip past the underwear, directly slipping into her opening. "HngHAA~!"

"Ahhnn… T-This feels so good..!" The black-haired lass started bouncing up and down, doing most of the work. Despite that, Yu continuously drove his finger into her, hitting parts she had thought impossible without the you-know-what. "Nghuuhh!"

'Yu-senpai~!' Rise happily slurped the trickle of juice that leaked from his little opening, smiling as she watched him take the lead. 'I knew he was a lady-killer! Time to make this quick!'

And soon enough, gaining energy just from watching the scene before her, she quickened her pace, not giving her senpai the comfort of taking it slow, slipping into a fast-paced game.

And soon enough, the pleasure builded much faster, sending a mighty jolt down his being.

'C-Crud..!' He knew he was going to come fast, and at this moment, he wouldn't even be able to get the girls of whom his fingers were stuck in to come first. "I-I'm cu—AhHNhA!"

He didn't even get to complete his words, as everything just came out in a full rush, bursting like a powerful torrent. Unable to take all of it in, the idol pulled herself away, coughing as her face was washed with a sea of white.

The other girls noticing this, they slipped down his legs, taking the excess seed that spurted out. The only one who didn't leave his side is Naoto.

"W-Wow…" He panted, feeling heat rise down there as tongues collided against his sensitive girth.

"We love you… and yet, you did nothing back for us," she pouted, looking cuter than ever. "Did you really say all that just because you could?"

"W-What? No… I said what I said because I meant it," he stared back into her eyes, hoping at least that she'd believe him. She tried to search for any traces of a lie, but got nothing.

"…Do you treat the others the same way as well?" She asked.

"Well… somewhat," he blushed, almost biting his lip when he felt tongues encircle his sacks. "I mean, Yosuke needed a cheering up."

"Did you, by chance…" She struggled with her words, but he knew just what she was going to say, somehow.

"No. No, I did not kiss him, nor did we do anything. I just hugged him to give him a bit of comfort, and a few words. That's all," his words were final, gaze a mighty steel, only for it all to melt away with a moan from his lips.

Seriously though. Why do people even write those sort of stuff between the two of them? They were just really good friends!

"I-I see… Forgive me for suspecting such a thing then…" She sighed.

And later, a scream came from him once more, when another shot came forth, drowning all the girls in white.

And suddenly, he was pulled backwards, so that his whole body was on the bed. His member still hard, thankfully enough for the girls, it seemed all of them stared at that part for unnecessary amounts of time.

Time flowed for a very brief fraction of a second, but it felt like time had ground to a stop for the boy.

And when everything began once more, he noticed Yukiko's entrance hanging just above his, dripping wet with anticipation.

"Well then, Yu, get ready! 'Cause this is the day you're about to graduate from a boy, into a man!" Chie giggled, everyone sharing a look of amusement at his short nervousness.

"I-I will try," he nodded back, staring into the lass's eyes, the one of which whose virginity he would claim first—he was still a virgin, so this was going to be a bit scary. "L-Let's do this. Every first is a new experience, right?"

"R-Right…" She nodded, lining herself with his member. Slowly, she sank down, feeling him spread her open. "Ah, hhhnn…"

"Kshhh…" He sucked air through gritted teeth, feeling her clamp down around him. He pushed slightly more in, opening her around him a bit more. This was a serious moment, one that was irreversible. And he was not going to flunk this, no matter what!

Staring into her eyes, he gave her no chance to speak before he dove forwards, capturing her lips with his own, treading his fingers through her hair.

And then, he pushed forwards.

"AhnhHGGAA!" She screamed, breaking away from the kiss as she felt her being suddenly split. It was more than she had thought herself capable of taking, knowing now that she had been wrong. It hurt.

"Y-Yukiko..!" And yet, the moment he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly, keeping her in place from falling off. At this, she couldn't help but feel calmer.

Unable to contain himself, he pulled himself slightly back, before moving forwards once more.

'T-Tight..!' He moaned in his mind, ramming her as quickly as he could, keeping her steady as her body arched slightly forwards. Her walls coiled around him, giving a warmth that he was no doubt loving already.

Stifling a moan, he continued pulling out of her before burying himself in her, eliciting a strong scream of both lust and delight from the girl, touching parts deep inside of her that sent overdriving pleasure.

"Wow, he's really going at it…" Chie gulped, somewhat in envy. 'Calm down, Chie. Your turn will come soon. Just… wait…'

He was ignorant of her thoughts—not that he'd be remotely possible of hearing one's thoughts anyways—casting a sensational magic on her that had her bouncing up and down him as quickly as she could, yet never able to match his speed, despite him lying down.

His training in the 'TV World' worked wonders, even in sex, unsurprisingly.

"Y-Yu..! You're so big~!" She gasped, biting on her finger. There was no simple way to describe this feeling. It was just too good.

He nodded mutely, grinding deep into her tunnel as he ever could. And soon enough, the familiar sensation was building up, indicating that his release was closer than ever. He could tell she was coming close too, indicated by how her walls were beginning to clamp harder down on him.

Yup, she was close.

"Yu! S-S-Something's close..!" Her eyes watered, spilling down her cheeks. And yet, it never meant that she was crying. The pleasure kept her from blinking them away, is all.

"Just let it go!" He shouted, getting a hold over her breasts, giving them a twist.

And just like a trigger, she climaxed.

"KhhHYAAA!" She screamed, an orgasm so strong crashing down onto her, more than she could truly take, her juices flowing freely out of her as her walls acted as a vice-grip around his member.

"GhHHAAA!" He gasped, all control lost. He wasn't exactly at the time to climax, but the moment her insides squeezed hard on him, it was more than enough to get him off, as his seed shot forth, painting every of her walls with his colours.

Words died in her throat as she threw her head back, a silent screaming falling on every ears there were. When that was done, she fell backwards into the idol's arms, who placed her to his side, visibly drained. His seed still flowed down her flower, thick and rich.

"Wow, Senpai! Who would have thought you had it in you~?" She purred, meeting his lips with her own. It was long, lusty, before she pulled back. "Okay, Chie! You're up!"

"M-Me?" She blinked, pointing at herself.

"Well, of course! Who else?" The younger girl aimed a sultry look at her upperclassman, who flinched from said action. "Go on! No one's stoppi—"

A blur moved past them and towards the martial artist, who screamed as she was suddenly downed, back making contact with the bed quicker than what she could have thought.

Gazing upwards, her brown orbs met silver ones, and she knew enough.

"T-Take it slow, alright..? I'm just as new as everyone else are…" She whimpered, her tone breaking his previous carnivorous side.

"R-Right…" He mentally chided himself for making that simple mistake. He didn't need to scare her before they'd do something that both would love, after all. Taking a moment to regain his composure, he adopted a strong look once more, except this one was more loving than the previous one. "Are you ready?"

"Y-Yeah..! Of course I am! I think…" Chie gulped at the end of her sentence.

Nodding at her statement, Yu spreader her legs apart, giving him a generous view of her pretty little sucker. It was so cute, he told himself, but he'd better get on with it, lest he gets too lost in his thoughts staring at that little sweet thing.

Lining his member with her entrance, he muttered silent words of prayer to the girl, before he drove himself forth.

"AAiGHAAHH!" The second girl to lose her virginity to the boy both she and her best friend have fallen for, her screams came out loud, as she trashed in place, held in place by her shoulders.

"Aha—Haah!" He gasped, the pleasure becoming familiar now. And yet, each experience was a breath of fresh air, so he came to realise that every girl felt different. And while he wanted to move on, Chie was visibly hurting more than her friend looked to be—no kidding, since her build was a tad bit smaller—so he held himself from thrusting forwards.

Allowing her tunnel to shape itself to his member, it was a minute later when she gave him a reassuring nod, acting as his cue to move.

Smiling back, he was about to move backwards, when her legs suddenly wrapped around his waists. Taking it as a sign of 'bracing herself', he slowly moved backwards, and began moving forwards. Back and forth, back and forth, a pattern he was all too familiar with.

"Y-Yu! Yu..!" She worshipped that name by now, screaming it multiple of times and shaking under him, her hips rising to meet his as pleasure and pain began an unrecognisable mix in her. "Ngha… Aagh!"

Burrying her head in his shoulder, she could briefly see Rise plunging her finger in her swat, but her sense of sight was slightly blurry, as the lad continued to make her feel good, pushing forwards and back.

Her nails dug into his shoulder. Painful, but not to the point where blood was drawn. Still, it bolstered him to move faster. If not to give her the clincher she so deserved, then to get this pain over with as quick as possible.

Soon enough, the build-up process began in him once more, and he was more than ready to give it to her.

"Ah—Hahhn! Ahhh!" She panted, struggling to speak, words transforming into incoherent moans each time she felt his length hit her womb.

Well, there goes the plan to tell her that he was close. Screw it, he'll just go for it!

"H-Here it comes! Haghaa!" The silver-head roared, his pleasure reaching its end, before he hilted himself as deep as possible, holding her still as string after string of his essence shot forth, incredible sensation ripping through him.

Shaking, gasping for words as she felt her walls drenched in his liquid, she couldn't help but suddenly go limp, tongue lolling out of the side of her lips as her eyes hazily looked around her.

Well. Two down, two left to go.

Making sure Chie was comfortable, lying beside a now-asleep Yukiko, he turned around, hoping that this would be the least. There was no way he could take another four rounds.

God above, please save him before that happens.

"We're the last obstacle, Senpai~! Think you can handle us?" Rise beamed at the boy, who in turn flashed her a determined smile.

"Of course. I think," Yu added that last part when his mind finally registered the fact that he would be taking the two of them on at the same time. This would certainly prove to be interesting.

"P-Please be gentle. This is our first time as well…" Naoto blushed hard, turning her head away. And yet, she kept stealing glances at the boy, her desire to give her first time to him just as strong as the girls before her, and the one beside her.

This was the strangest day. A man would have cried in joy for taking the virginity of his wife. Now, try telling that same man that you claimed for beautiful girls in one day.

Savage.

"Come on! We don't have all day!" She crawled on the bed towards him, a sultry look on her features. "You're ready, right, Senpai?"

He didn't need to respond. That determined look in his eye had her core shivering with need. He was always so dashing, she'd be damned not to give herself to him.

Taking her female friend's hand, the two of them landed softly onto the bed, side by side on their backs. One was smiling in anticipation, and the other averted her gaze from the boy. It wasn't all that hard to determine which is which.

He had a plan in mind already. Take one, take the other, and send them on a rollercoaster to haven. Easy as it could get, no?

"Okay… Here we go!" With a firm look, he grabbed both of the idol's hips, staring deep into her eyes.

And pressing the head of his manhood against her opening, a sharp gasp could be heard. This would feel nice, to him sure, but was going to hurt like a witch for her. Taking this into account, he moved as slow as possible, allowing her to familiarise herself with his feeling.

Digging deeper and deeper, catching notice of a worried Naoto in the corner of the eye, he flashed her a reassuring smile, returning to the task at hand.

He reached what felt like a barrier, telling him enough that it was time. With a pull back—

He pushed! Again.

"MMaamFFHh..!" Turns out the girl had thought ahead, kissing him so to muffle the screams of pain and delight, finally one with her crush. It was better than she had thought possible.

"Hgmmhh…" He had gotten visibly better at handling these first-times, but every new experience was just as good as the last. 'R-Rise…'

Stopping after a while, he began the same procedure once more, thrusting in and out of her. The screams of ecstasy that she released only furthered the remaining girl's anticipating, as well as her patience beginning to thin.

The girl herself had just felt what could be described as a core-splitting pain. And yet, held by her senpai made every piece of it just fade away, replaced with the warm love that she knew the boy was capable of, and she wanted it all.

Yu, on the other hand, knew he had another mission. While he would have loved to just give in here and now, there was still the need to focus on Naoto after all. So he continued for just a little bit more, before…

"H-Hwhah..?" She could feel the climax just around the corner, but the moment the heat left her nether regions, there was nothing stopping her from looking at him, a look of disbelief present. "Y-Yu-senpai~..!"

"Sorry. I need to be fair," he told her easily, focusing on Naoto, grabbing her large breasts—that moan was delectable—before positioning himself, ready to go for it. "Hang on."

"O-Oka—HngghAA!" She got the chance to brace herself, and it was all that he needed before he moved past her barrier, breaking it with one simple thrust. "AaHH, owa… NghhaA!"

"Khh…" Grunting, he made sure to give her proper time to regain herself, before he began his conquest once more, thrusting in and out and hitting her G-Spot, over and over again until she was left as a screaming mess, sweat and sex being the very smell that wafted in the air. "Haah!"

His build-up was dreadfully close, and it was supposed to be time to release, but he pulled out, leaving Naoto just as confused as Rise.

"Both of you…" He barely managed to speak, his member throbbing and begging release. "Lie on top of each other…"

They wanted to ask him why, but they decided not to. Rise rested herself atop the bluenette's body, their entrances dripping with anticipation.

They stared back, wanton lust present in their eyes.

 _"Burning up!"_

Left hand on the brunette's hip, and his right getting a firm grip on the girl below her, he lined himself not for either of them—

"Hghaa!"

"NghHAA!"

But in between them!

"Hrgh..!" The pleasure was overwhelming, as he drove his member in between their flowers, thrusting back and forth as his head scraped against their entrances, leaving them wanting more.

Such a simple action left them both screaming in bliss, as their individual climaxes were reaching—it didn't help since he left them so close, yet unfinished at the last minute.

And a few more strong pushes, and that was the final shot.

"HrhgaaAAA!" Yu screamed, keeping his member in place as it throbbed, spurting his thick essence, watching as it splattered across the girls' bodies.

The pleasure soon reached them, as the delightful throbbing of his member touched against their openings, which soon gave them the chance to also come, fresh juices pouring out.

After what felt like half an hour, the two girls separated themselves from each other, falling down and lying beside each other, sporting a tired yet satisfied look.

Yu, still the only one awake, soon found himself dropping onto the bed, joining his four new girlfriends in the world of sleep.

* * *

The Next Day

"Man, where is Yu?" Yosuke asked, holding his phone up to his ear.

He had been worried as to where his best friend was, considering that he hadn't answered his calls for what felt like the fourteenth time. Added to the fact that he was usually the early bird meant that something was wrong.

"In fact, where is everyone else?" Kanji looked around him.

Truly, it was weird why there was also the absences of the female group of the party. They were supposed to hang out together, but with just the three of them, it would be pretty awkward.

"Mmm… Ooh, I see Sensei!" Kuma suddenly chirped, gaining the other two boys' attention. The blond boy aimed his finger at a direction. "There!"

Following the direction of his finger, their gaze landed upon a Yu Narukami, who was walking towards them, the girls in tow.

Wait a minute. That scene looks… familiar.

That happy smile on his face. The way each girl hungrily gazed at him. And it was not easy to miss the way Chie had just gripped his ass, before he swatted her hand away.

"Huh? Yu? What's going on?" He didn't want to know, but the curiosity was burning stronger than ever.

"Ah, Yosuke. Kanji, Kuma. Hey," he waved at them, stopping when his black-haired friend kissed his cheek. "It's what it looks like."

…There was the indefinite sense of silence that came after, as the other three males witnessed their leader, their friend and ally, clearly given affection by the girls, all of whom snatched him for either a kiss, a grope, or a smile…

"WHAAAAAT?!"

"Yeah. Things happened, and, well... Here we are," his smile widened, before he walked past the three gawking boys, who looked like statues, and into Junes.

"Mmm! We should do that again, Senpai! Maybe we'll give you a good licking while we're at it~!" Rise purred, enjoying the soft massages he gave to her breast.

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't be that bad, though I am curious about, well…" Chie trailed off, averting her gaze from the others, sporting a bright flush.

"Ooh, Chie! I never knew you could be so perverted!" Yukiko giggled sultrily, though it didn't help the fact that she was constantly trying to get her boyfriend to poke his finger through her underwear.

"W-Well… Every new experience isn't all that bad, right? It's what makes things in bed fun," Naoto offered, a kiss on her forehead that had her gasping in delight.

"Well, I'll do whatever to make all of you happy, no matter what. Oh," he stopped in his tracks, turning around, only to see a dumbstruck Yosuke, a stupefied Kanji and an awed Kuma. "To borrow a quote from a famous man… 'To my boys, treat your women well'."

And no one could truly blame the boys for screaming in frustration at all. They didn't have girlfriends to begin with, after all. And it was only a matter of time before they faced off against a goddess. Even then, Izanami-no-Okami never stood a chance, not against a boy whose bonds he's forged with the people around him was stronger than she was.

And thus lived Yu Narukami.

* * *

~Fin

* * *

 **And thus existed this story in the fanfiction of Persona 4. This feels weird!**

 **So, there's a few things that I must point out. I've _never_ played Persona 4, just to make sure no one flames me for getting anything wrong. The best sources that gave me the information that I could use to write this whole thing was from the anime, don't hate me for that, and the wiki.**

 **Next of, this is the first time I've ever written a one-shot, and it made sense why the whole thing is _super_ long. So yay!**

 **In any case, I'd like to tell all of you that this was quite the fun little journey, though it did give me more than a few things to cringe about. Sure, a lot of plot, and not much smut, but hey, why not?**

 **Also, there's going to be a little detail that I'm adding in 'Resonance of Demons' that is directly connected to 'Birth From Bytes', and what I have planned for the latter. So... yeah, just make sure to look out for that.**

 **Anyways, I'll see you all later!**


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